Folk Magic, Druidism, Heathenry, & Pagan Parenting

homemade watercolors

I know water color paints are cheap and easy to come by, but why not make your own anyway? You can use this recipe when you run all out of one color and not the others- just refill in your old watercolor trays. You can also make a lot of just one color. My lil’ guy was obsessed for a while with one particular color, so this formula really came in handy. I used an egg carton for these, however, and have given the proportions that fit that container. Egg cartons make great paint trays. Fill one side with paint and use the other to hold paint brushes.

For each egg carton cup, mix: 1/2 tablespoon baking soda, 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/4 tsp. syrup, and a generous squirt of food coloring. Stir well– it bubbles up! Make the mixture darker than you think you’ll need it; it will lighten when it dries. Pour it into the egg cup and let dry several hours or overnight. You may need to stir it a couple of times while it’s drying to keep the mixture from separating. It dries completely hard and is used with a wet paintbrush just like regular watercolors.The only difference is the finished paintings can have a bit of a cloudy quality to them. *Note: if using a cardboard egg carton, brush the insides with melted wax and let dry, to prevent the paint from seeping through.